Lela Davidson (top), director of content for Acumen Brands and John Elliott (below), director of partnership marketing. Kiva Systems robots (right) bring merchandise for stocking at the Acumen Brands warehouse across from the company’s 200,000-SF headquarters. (Photos by Beth Hall)

In December, Acumen Brands of Fayetteville announced objectives for 2014 that one company executive called “insane.” The leadership wanted five new programs to keep the company vibrant and growing, among those programs “flash sales” and “Marketplace.”